Among the Japanese artists who attracted the attention of the Society of Independent Artists and the Salons of America in the early 1920s were Gado Kotato (T.K. Gado) and Toshi Shimizu.

In 1918, the First World War finally ended after raging in Europe for nearly four years. At the same time, Modernist movements, such as Futurism and Cubism, were taking hold in the art world. Futurism, which began with Marinetti’s “Futurist Manifesto” published in the Figaro in 1909, was an expressionist movement that praised mechanical beauty, speed, and dynamism, and its representative artists included Boccioni and Sevillini. Cubism was a movement that attempted to reconstruct objects on a two-dimensional screen by using geometric lines and curves to represent all kinds of objects. Pablo Picasso and George Black are well known for their work in this style.

Futurist and Cubist techniques can be seen in the works of Gado Kotato (T.K.Gado). After studying Japanese-style painting at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, Kotato moved to the U.S. His western paintings of Japanese subjects were included in the exhibitions of the New York Japanese Art Association. His  Futurist works were also shown at the Society of Independent Artists and the Salons of America. Kotato’s works were appreciated by the art world of the time for their use of Futurist techniques with a realistic touch to depict all walks of urban life.

“The color tones are remarkably advanced, or perhaps the hat of the man in action in the crowd is too realistic.” 

(Torajiro Watanabe, “Gacho-kai member’s review,” Nihonjin, No. 99, February 25, 1923).

Nichibei Jiho also reported that

“Mr. Gado Kotato’s works are always skillful in depicting the sights and sounds of city life, and ‘Block Party’ is a good example of his skill and coloring.”

(Morningside Inshi, “Independent Art Exhibition,” Nichibei Jiho, March 17, 1923)